University Police received two reports of strong-arm robberies on the Chicago campus on Tuesday, according to crime alerts sent to the Northwestern community.

The first robbery took place at 12:11 a.m. Tuesday morning at the intersection of North Sinclair Street and East Superior Street on NU’s Chicago campus. A woman not affiliated with the University reported that she was knocked to the ground by a man and that a second man took her purse, which contained her wallet and cellphone, according to the email signed by Eric Chin, the UP deputy police chief.

The second robbery occurred at 4:04 a.m. Tuesday near East Chicago Avenue and North Fairbanks Court. A Pritzker School of Law student was walking toward campus while watching a movie on his iPad when two men exited a silver sedan, struck him in the face and took the iPad. The student used a “blue light” phone to call UP and refused medical attention.

UP is reviewing security camera footage in the vicinity of both of the incidents, Chin wrote in the email. The Chicago Police Department is leading the investigation of the second incident.

In the email, Chin offered suggestions for how students should protect themselves from similar incidents, including walking on well-lit routes, avoiding talking on the phone and reporting suspicious activity to the police.

“Crime prevention and awareness, as well as consistent reporting, may be the strongest defenses against becoming the victim of a robbery,” he wrote.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @cam_e_cook

Related Stories:
– University Police unveil new security measures following recent robberies on Chicago campus